Friday 19 April 2013

British army, navy, air force lists online

Military lists can help if you are researching ancestors who were in Britain's armed forces.

These publications can provide information about the units that individuals served in, but you should be aware that most of these directories only list officers.
At the National Library of Scotland we hold:

The official Army List from 1714

The Navy List from 1804

The Air Force List from 1919

Some militia listings

The muster roll of the Jacobite Army.

You can use these lists in conjunction with published regimental histories and the 'London Gazette', 'Edinburgh Gazette' or 'Belfast Gazette', which list officer commissions and awards for gallantry.

If you get fed up with flicking through these, the good news is that some of the British military lists are now online.
They provide details of officers who served in the British Army, the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force during the First and Second World Wars.